Typewriting-machine



J. A. B. SMITH.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19. 1918.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

portion.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JESSE A. B. SMITH, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR UNDER-WOOD TYPE-WRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DEL-AWARE.

TYPEWRITING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Jnssn A. B. SMITH,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Stamford, in the county ofFairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Typewriting-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to typewriting machines, and more especially todevices or at tachments to enable typed webs to be sev-. eredinto-lengths. The invention is herein disclosed as applied to theso-called fan-fold Underwood typewriting machine, embodying the generalstructure shownrin the patent to Wernery & Smith, No. 1,132,055, datedMarch 16, 1915, wherein the usual platen of the Underwoodtypewriting,ma-

chine is adapted to be lifted clear"of its,

feed-rolls and to be swung up to such an extent that the web may bedrawn straight forward across the rear paper table beneath the platen.There has hitherto been provided on such fan-fold and other machines,

a fixed knife not far from the printing line against which a work-sheetor web could be drawn to detach therefrom a written-on Acording to thepresent invention, the knife may move relatively to the paper and may bein the form of two cuttingedges which close together, thereby cutting asa pair of scissors would cut, thus affording the possibility of cuttingwith a smoother edge,

especially when a plurality of plies are severed or cut off at the sametime. To enable this to be done, the paper table of the Wen nery & Smithmachine may be so constructed as to furnish one of the cutting edges,while the other cutting edge may be in the form'of a revolving knife,which is.

adapted to be drawn across the carriage transversely of the web, therebysevering it. The revolving knife may be positively driven, one simpleform of such drive being av rack adjacent the hub of the knife, withwhich rack a pinion fast to the knife may mesh.

Other features and advantages will here inafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an Un- $pecification of LettersPatent. Patented Dee, 14,, 192() Application filed June 19, 1918. SerialNo. 240,717. 4

derwood typewriting machine carriage of the fan-fold type, showing myinvention as i the same durapplied thereto. 1 Fig. 21s a cross-sectionof mg wrltlng.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but

showing thepaper at the moment of being cut.

In the Underwood fan-fold typewriting machine, the platen 1 is'journaled in a swing frame 2 which includes end plates 3 and 4journaled on a front bar or red 5 ex- In writing on the machine, theplate tending across the carriage, so" that the i6 normally occupies theposition shown in the drawings,'with a web 12 drawn from' the rear overthe rear paper table 13,- down around the platen, past the feed-rolls tothe printing point, opposite the type 14, and then up and somewhatrearwardlyacross the front paper table 15. In the usual operation ofthese machines, the web. is drawn forward until the leading edge thereofstrikes an adjustable end gage 16 mounted on an extension 17.. of thefront paper table" 15; the web is then severed, having been I Ipreviously written on. I

According to the present invention, the severing may be effected by aknife 18 formed as an edge of an opening 19 in the front paper table 15,said. edge advantageously being in the form of a piece of steel 20,thicker than the paper table and forming part of the surface thereof,said edge being separated from the upper part of the paper table by theopening 19 in whichthe 00- operating edge or knife 21 is adapted towork. In order to sever a web .in the form of the invention hereindisclosed, the web may be firmly held upon the surface of the papertable 15, and is preferably at the same time alsofirmly held by thefeed-rolls 6 and 7. The operative then, with one hand, seizes afinger-piece 22 slidable on the front rod 5, so that a bracket 23forming an extension of said finger-piece will carry down,

against the cutting edge, a cutting wheel or knife 24 journaled on astub-shaft projecting from a boss 26 carried. bysaid bracket,

with the result thatif the finger-piece 22 is caused to travel along thetypewriter carriage, the two cutting edges will sever the web lyingbetween them. To make this severing positive, the cutting wheel 24 maybe positively driven, being for this purpose provided with a pinion25fast to its hub,

which pinion isadapted to mesh with a fixed rack 27 extendinglongitudinally of. the carriag'e just far enough above the surface ofthe paper table 15 to permit webs to easily be'inserted between it andthe paper table.

The drawing of the cutting wheel along the paper table, therefore, willcause it to be positively rotated, thus eliminating the likelihood ofheaping up the paper in front of the wheel, instead of severing'it.

In order to obtain a clear cut, the wheel i I 24 is provided with a flatface 28, adapted to bear against the adjacent flat face 29 of the fixedcutting knife. In order tohold the knife 24 normally clear of the frontpaper-table 15, the finger-piece by which the wheel is operated includesa collar 30, by

" which it slides on the front bar 5, said collar 40 I attached to apost 35 on the sleeve, rocks the including a key 31 adapted to ride in aslot in a sleeve 32, which encircles the whole length of the front' bar,over which the finger-piece is slidable, that is to say, substantially,from one end plate to the other. The sleeve normally holds the wheel 24clear .of the front paper-table, because a spring 34,

sleeve to such a point that the key will carry the finger-piece towardthe front of the machine, thereby lifting the wheel 24 to the screwed;to' the collar, and comprises a turned-up end, by which thefinger-piece may be drawn along the carriage. In ordinary operation ofthe machine, it will probably be found most convenient to allow thefinger-piece to remain at theright-hand side of the carriage beyond theend of webs of ordinary width.

The machine may be provided with an adjustable side gage 39 'of theusual type,

by'which the web may be trued up in the machine, with the result thatwhen so trued,

the severing of the web by the cuttin wheel 24 will'always cut the endthereo off at right angles to the side as gaged by the side gage. Itwill be noted that the rack 27 may be so located behind the front bar 5as to conceal little or no more writing than is concealed by said bar inthe machine as ordinarily now in use.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, andportionsof the improvements maybe used Without others.

Having thus described my invention, I

bination with a revoluble platen about which work-sheets are adapted tobe passed.

of a rack adjacent said platen, a knife. adapted to travel along saidrack and be revolved thereby, a fixed knife with which the first-namedknife cooperates to sever the work-sheets, a slide on which saidrevolving knife is journaled, a rod along which said slide is slidable,and a finger-piece for said revolving knife.

sliding said slide along said rod to turn bination with a revolubleplaten about which work-sheets are adapted to be passed, of apaper-table above said platen includ ing afixed knife, a revolving knifeadapted to be carried along said fixedknife to cooperate therewith tosever the work-sheets, a rack adjacent said table, and a pinion on saidrevolving knife meshing with said rack to be turned thereby as it movesalong the table.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platenabout which work-sheets are adapted to be passed,

of a paper-table above said platen including a fixed knife, a revolvingknife adapted to be carried along said knife to cooperate therewith tosever the worksheets, a rack adjacent said table, a pinion on saidrevolving knife meshin with said rack to be turned thereby as it movesalong-the table, a slide on which said pinion is journaled, a rod onwhich said slide is adapted to slide during the cutting operation, andmeans whereby the rod normally holds the revolving knife clear of thepaper-table.

5. In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platen jabout which work-sheets are adapted to be passed, of a paper-table abovesaid platen lncluding a slot, said slot being bounded along one side bya strip of hardened and tempered steel having a sharpened edge thusconstituting a fixed lmife, and a revolving knife adapted to enter saidslot'and travel .therealong in cooperation with the knife edge to severthe'work-sheets.

6; In a typewriting machine, the combination with a revoluble platenabout i which work-sheets are adapted to ,be passed, a of a paper-tableabove said jplaten including I a to said revolvingknife meshing withsaid a slot, a knife forming one edge of said slot, a revolving knifeadapted to' enter said slot and travel therealong cooperating with theknife edge to sever the work-sheets, a rack adjacent said slot, and apinion fast rack and adapted to turn the revolving knife as it is drawnalong the slot. 7

7 In a typewriting machine, the ,combination with a revoluble platenabout which work-sheets are adapted to be passed, of a paper-table abovesaid platen including a slot,'a knife forming one edge of said slot, p

8. In a typewriting machine, the com-- bination with a revoluble platenabout which work-sheets are adapted to be passed,

of a paper-table above said platen, arack above said paper-table, butadjacent thereto, so that work-sheets pass between the rack and table,and a knife adapted to be swung down against said rack and to be drawnacross said table to sever the work-sheets.

9, In a typewriting machine, the combination with' a revoluble platenabout which work-sheets are adapted to be passed,

-ofa paper-table above said platen, a, rack above said paper-table, butadjacent thereto, so that work-sheets pass between the rack and table, aknife adapted to be swung down against said rack and to be drawn acrosssaid table to sever'the work-sheets,

means normally holding said knife clear, 7 of the table, and afinger-piece for swinging the knife against tlie table and then draw-.ing it along to effect severing.

10. In a typewriting machine, the combination [with a revolving knife,of a inion'for causing it to revolve, a rack with which the pinion isadapted to mesh to revolve the pinion, a slide forming a journal forsaid pinion, a rod on which said slide is slidable, a spline in said rodto hold the slide" against turning thereon, means normally holding thepinion clear of the rack, and a finger-piece for swinging the pinioninto the rack and then drawing the pinion along the rack to cause it torevolve the knife.

JESSE A. B. SMITH.

Witnessesz I EDITH B. LIBBeY,

JENNIE P. T110RN E.

